Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-02-25

are actually making that choice, while there
are others who have done far differently.
When they tried to bride with money Martin
Luther, some one said: "There's no use trying
to do that-that Dutch beast cares nothing
for gold" When they tried by giving him a
cardinals hat, to bride Savonarola he stood
up In his pulpit and cried out: II will have
no red hat, save that of martyrdom, colored
with my own blood" These men chose
Christ amid great prosecutions; but how
many there are in this day, when Chris
tanity seems to be popular, who are ashamed
Of Christ and not willing to take the hard
ships-the seeming hardships-of His relig-
ion And, alas for theml for long after the
crash Of the worlds demolition, they shall
find that in all these years they were turning
their backs upon the palaces of heaven, scrab-
bling on the door of this worlds treasure
house, the saliva of a terrific lunacy on their
lips-horribly and overwhelmingly playing
the fool.
Once more say to you that those men
play the fool who, while they admit the
righteousness of religion, set, it down for fu-
ture attendance. Do you know how many
times the word NOW" occurs in the Bible?
Over 200 times. One of the shortest words in
the Bible, and yet one of the grandest in
meaning and ramifcations When does
the Bible say is the best time to re-
penta Now. When does the Bible
say that God will forgive2 Now. When
does God say is the only safe time to
attend to the matters Of the soul? Now.
But that word "now" melts away as easily as
q snowflake in the evening rain. Where is
the "now" of the dead last year? the "now"
OF the dead of last month? the snow" of the
dead Of last week? the "now" of the dead of
yesterdays Time picked it up in its beak
and few away with it. Swammerdam and
other naturalists tell us there are insects which
within the space of one minute are born,
fulfill their mission. celebrate their nuptials
and die; but this wonderful "now" is more
shortlived than they. 1t is flash, stroke,
"a glance. Its cradle is its grave If men
catch it at all, it is with quick clutch. Mil
men have lost their soul immortal be-
ley did not understand the momentum
hederosity Of that one word Ali
DIegic powers of hell are exerted
trying to subtract from the energy
and emphases Of that word They say it is
only word of three letters, while there is a
better word of eight letters-"to-morrow."
They say: "Throw away that small word and
take this other grand one;" and so men say:
now and between those two words is the
Appian way of death, and great multitude
throng that road, jostling and elbowing each
other, Fastening on swifter and swifter to
die. For how much would you walk
the edge of the roof of your house?
For how much would you come out
on the most dangerous peak Of the Matter
horn and wave your cap? You say: "No
,J,,oa ia II
you stand to-day, with one foot on crumb-
ling moment and the other foot lifted, not
knowing where you will put it down, while
the distance between you and the bottom of
the depth beneath You no plummet can
measure, no arithmetic calculate. no
wing of lightning cleave And yet, the
Bible tells us that unless man
has new heart he cannot get into
heaven; and some of you are not seeking for
that new heart. In Mexico. sometimes the
ground suddenly opens, and a man standing
near the gap can see down an appalling dis
lance But, OF if to-day, at your feet. there
should open the chasms Of the lost world, how
you would fling yourself back and hold the
pew, and cry: "God save me-now! nowl
nowi'
greet you to-day, my brother, in the very
RttLG VI SItlG1UJ. COl1S VI Us i've d
longer and some of us may live shorter
time; but ct the longest, life is so short that
/ feel we all stand ON the doorsill of the great
future. The next step-all the angels of God
cannot undo the consequences. VIII your
exit from this life be rising or falling?
The righteous go Up. The Saviour helps them.
Ministering spirits meet them. The doors of
paradise open to receive them. Up! up. upl o,
a grand thing it is to die with strong faith
in God, like that which Stonewall Jackson
had, when, in his expiring moments, he said
"Let us cross over the river, and lie down
under the shade" But to leave this world
unpreparedly is falling-falling from God,
falling from hope, falling frosn peace, falling
from heaven-swiftly falling, wildly falling,
forever falling So it was with one who had
been eminent for his intelligence, but who
had omitted all preparation for the future
world, and had come down to his last
hour. He said to his wife, seated by
the bedside: sob, don't talk to me about
pain; it is the mind, woman, it is the mind!
Of all the years of my life, never lived one
minute for heaven. 1t is awfully dark here"
he whispered, "it is awfully dark. l seem to
stand on the slippery edge of a great gulf. I
shall fall! / am fallingl" And with shrek,
-Cs
exnired. Wise for this world, about all
the matters of his immortal soul he was, his
life long, PLAYING the fool,
I will take the case of some one in the
Building to-day and ask you what you think
about that case He has been all his life
amid Bibles ard churches, so that he knows
his dilty. Christ has offered to do all for
that man tina. Divine Saviour can offer to
do for dying soul. Heaven has been offered
him. yea, been pushed upon him, and vet he
has not accepted it. and TODAY he sits de-
=-arate]y allowing his chances for life to 70
away -s'5s,, him What do voa=say of that
onee "Hallucinated, ~ SAYS one: "Monoma-
niacal,n SAYS another: "Playing the fool"
says another. o, how many there are taking
lust that positionl There is such a thing as
pyromania, an insanity which disposes one to
destroy buildings by fire; but who would have
thought that there was pyromania OF the
immortal nature, and that any one could be
80 struck through with that insanity as to
have desire and disposition to consume the
soul?
Awake, mani awake, womanl from the
phantasia, real or affected Take Christ
Escape for eternity Just see what has been
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